The Florida Panthers dropped a tough one to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night.
Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead against the visiting Flyers but couldn’t hold on, allowing a pair of very late goals en route to a 4-2 defeat at Amerant Bank Arena.
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It was a game that the Panthers felt they could have, and should have, come out on top.
As has been the case in each game Florida has face the Flyers this season, Philly goaltender Dan Vladar played outstanding between the pipes, but that still shouldn’t have cost the Cats two points.
Here are Wednesday’s takeaways:
SOLID FIRST 40
Despite allowing a pair of second period goals, the Panthers were pleased with how they were playing through forty minutes.
Philadelphia got off only five shots during the middle frame and were outshot by the Florida 20-12 through the first two periods.
If not for several sparkling saves by Vladar, the Panthers likely would have pulled away.
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“I liked the first two periods an awful lot,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I thought we were really quick with the puck, and our decisions, we were really confident with it, and that started to fade.”
DECISIONS SLOWED DOWN
As the game progressed, it felt like the Panthers started gripping their sticks a little tighter.
Passing lanes seemed to shrink and it became much more difficult to get shots on net, taking away from Florida’s ability to build momentum while simultaneously giving the Flyers more confidence.
That makes it all the more exasperating for the Panthers, as they were still in the driver’s seat in the game’s final minutes and had two points in their grasp.
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“I thought we were slow with the puck,” said Maurice. “I think they got in on some pucks and we were just late getting to some loose pucks that were laying around, and they maintained that control. Their D got moving up top, and we needed to get in a few of those shot lanes.”
VERHAEGHE HEATING UP
One of the big positives to take from the past several games for Florida is the play of Carter Verhaeghe.
He has logged three multi-point outings over his past five games after having none all season, and he’s scored in consecutive games for the first time since Games 3 and 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of last year’s playoffs.
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If Verhaeghe can resume producing the way he has during the majority of his time with the Panthers, it will go a long way toward helping the team keep pace in the playoff race while Florida’s injured players continue healing and working their way back to the lineup.
“I thought the three games prior to him scoring, he was moving pretty darn good, and it wasn’t going for him,” Maurice said. “But he is now moving, and he’s getting the puck off his stick, and he’s faster with it, and he’s faster…that line’s been very good for us.”
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Photo caption: Nov 26, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) moves the puck against Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale (9) during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
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